Małgorzata Ostrowska: I care about the balance in private life and business

MARTA KRUPIŃSKA, VOGUE.PL

Małgorzata Ostrowska, CEO of Maurisse Sp. z o.o. and the founder of the Biotaniqe brand, privately a mother of three and a sports enthusiast, knows almost everything about the Polish cosmetics industry. She got into it at a very young age, in the 1990s. As a 25-year-old she became responsible for the entire process of creating new hair care and hair colouring lines. Until this day, her main goal and professional mission remain providing Polish women with cosmetics of the best quality and for the affordable price.

You have successfully launched 16 brands and 400 cosmetics to your credit. What are you guided by in business?

I am extremely grateful to fate that as a cosmetic producer and a creator of the brands such as Biovax, Selfie Project or Biotaniqe I have been able to work with wonderful specialists across different fields for 20 years now. The thing that I have managed to do for all these years and what I am extremely proud of is the ability to instill passion, willingness to work, looking forward, to breaking down one’s barriers and fears and – by my opinion the most importnat of them – logical thinking in people. I adore watching the business grow, it is a great force that pushes a person forward. We want our cosmetics to be the best and most unique, so that the customer who decided to buy our product knows that she or he made the right choice.

What is your philosophy of creating cosmetics?

The basis of the existence of the Biotaniqe brand is understanding that the human body is wise and it simply needs to be supported. The priority for me is that the cosmetics help the skin with facing unfavourable factors of civilisation. That is why Biotaniqe is a wise support for the skin and the probiotic pro.aQua water, which is the base of all our cosmetics, protects its microflora. Because of that skincare is not only effective, but primary it is safe.

What makes the Biotaniqe cosmetics effective?

I have realised a long time ago that the nature provides us with the ingredients that have beneficial effects on our organisms. You just have to use them wisely – that is when the magic happens. That is why you can find high concentrations of ingredients such as snail secretion filtrate, cbd – 99% organic hemp oil, caviar, aloe or even viper venom in the Biotaniqe cosmetics. The ability of improving the condition of the skin using natural ingredients is just fascinating. At Biotaniqe we do it every day and it gives us great joy. The Snail Repair Therapy line, which offers products dedicated for a very diverse age groups, from 30+ to 70+, has been our greatest hit for years now. Those best-sellers have been relaunched this year: the same effective ingredients that Polish women are in love with in a new design and glass jars. All of this created out of love for then beauty.

What is the secret of the Biotaniqe brand?

Biotaniqe is the knowledge, passion and experience of women who are the most important pillars of our cosmetic endeavour. Talented  technologists,  laboratory  technicians  and  marketing  workers  are  behind  Biotaniqe,  giving the guarantee of the highest  standards.  We just love cosmetics! I am also really proud of the fact that there is a community of women around our brand  who  have  trusted  us  and  help  us to respond to the needs of the Polish women in the best possible way. In our Face- book  group,  Biotaniqe  Beauty  Club,  fans  are  the first to learn about our discoveries in the field of cosmetics. They test our products  before  they  enter  the  market  and  we  carefully  listen  to  their  advices.  The  group  is  also  a space for women’s discussion  in  an  atmosphere  of  sisterhood  and support. Conversations about skin care, its condition and favourite creams are very often contributing to much deeper topic, such as coping with aging or self- acceptance and self-love.

You combine management of the company with raising three children. How do you manage
to reconcile such demanding roles?

I  am  a  mother  and I work full-time. I know perfectly well what an ordinary day is like, full of stress and in rush. Sometimes it  is  difficult to find some time for a pleasure in such a routine -and we, women, still need it very much. Recently I have been thinking  about  how  to  do  something good for myself so as to not waste a lot of time. I never have it! I am not a person who likes  extremes  so  not  all  lifestyle  changes  suit  me. Even though I appreciate the vegan movement, in practice I knew that switching  to  this  kind  of  a  diet  would  be  too  radical  and  inauthentic for me. It is tempting to dedicate weekend to yoga, contemplation and meditation in nature, but it also impossible because I spend the weekends with my family. Relaxing while on  social  media  does  not  suit  me  completely.  Watching  beautiful reports and photos of influencers does not bring rest, it usually  brings  increasing  frustration.  Idyllic  images  of  smiling,  happy ladies who regularly practice yoga with full joy and then eat delicious breakfasts in beautiful places, at noon in the middle of the week are utopian for most working women.

So how do use time that is just for yourself, which is so difficult to find?

A  hot  bath  is  a  classic!  But such relaxation ends when two minutes after lighting the candles the children bursts into the bathroom and jump into the bathtub to bathe with their mother, my son screams  that  he  has  a  test  tomorrow  or I am just so tired that I almost fall asleep in the water! But there are ways each of us can afford some relaxation, regardless of time and money resources. After  many  hours  of  reflection,  analysis  and  conversations  with  authorities  in the field of knowledge about holistic life, I chose the rituals that I found the most effective. I have tested them on myself so I can vouch for them! Care is definitely important to me.

What does your skin care routine look like?

Years  of  working  with  cosmetics have convinced me that only a few minutes each day is enough to feel their effects. I always start with cleansing. It can be, for example, a good gel with probiotics or  a  delicate  micellar  water.  Then  I sprinkle  my  face  with a tonic that neutralises the skin’s pH. The next step of everyday skin care is moisturising – an extremely important part of the routine. Over  time the skin loses its natural hydration and elasticity, and its lipid layer requires support. Therefore, we can use a few drops of a regeneration serum that contains a lot of nutrients in a small amount  of  the  product.  And  at  the  end  I  always put a cream on. During my morning routine I like sipping my coffee – I hold my beloved mug in one hand and I pat my cosmetics in the other. I enjoy  feeling  the  consistency  of  the  cream,  applying it to my face, scenting it and touching the skin, feeling how smooth it is afterwards. I also appreciate makeup, which makes the skin visually prettier  and  more perfect, although the trend of naturalness (no make-up) is very valuable, I personally feel better and more confident thank to slightly tweaking my beauty. I do not wear makeup everyday, but when I do it gives me a lot of satisfaction.

What about other small pleasures and rituals that help you keep your balance?

During  the  day  my  little  pleasure  are  aromatic oils. I love the orange one – it is responsible for joy. I always carry it in my purse. There is also an everyday praxis that I call “time for myself” that improves how I feel. It is a little practice – every single day you need to find a moment to consciously think about yourself. If we have a problem with that, I suggest simply setting a reminder on the phone  for  this occasion several times a day especially for this. It can be a small celebration – focusing on yourself, on what is here and now, washing hands in full concentration on the smell, warm water  on  your  hands,  touching  the towel after wiping them. It really calms you down. You can also drink the tea with pleasure, without distractions – feeling its temperature, taste, feeling its way from  the  mouth  through  the  throat.Just as soothing and nice is just a simple breathing exercise. A few easy breaths – and that is it. Those rituals are a kind of undemanding meditation where we can appreciate the moment.

You emphasise that you cannot imagine your life without sport. What do you get from
regular physical activity?

I  love  exercising and dancing, but I do not care when I have moments when there is less movement, because according to my personal coach the key is to not forget about it. But regularity matters as  well.  We  start with small steps. The body appreciates it and we feel that we are finally doing something just for ourselves – and it makes us smile. I recommend reappearing these small actions. It helps to maintain inner harmony.